How To Choose a Pest Control Company
When choosing a pest control expert, there are several factors that you can consider to be sure you choose the best one for you. Factors you may consider include licensing and qualifications, treatment methods, years of experience, customer reviews, and cost.
Below, we discuss each of these factors in more detail.
Does the company have a valid license and permits to perform pest control?
All pesticide applicators, as well as those that supervise them, need to be licensed via the appropriate Ohio regulatory agencies. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has established minimum standards of competency, but providing, maintaining, and revoking licensure is handled at the state level.
Is the company a member of any professional organizations?
A pest control company can receive optional certifications from trade organizations like QualityPro in order to verify its standards and methods. One particular certification is the GreenPro Service Certification, which is granted to any company that can demonstrate that its methods are more eco-friendly. These companies also need to maintain certain training standards for employees.
There are certain professional organizations that a pest control company can be a member of. A pest control company can obtain membership in both state-level organizations and national organizations like the National Pest Management Association (NPMA). While not mandatory, membership in these organizations helps prove a company's reputability and gives it access to education, resources, and a network of professionals with whom to compare best practices.
Professional Experience and Specialties
The amount of time that a pest control company has been in business can tell you something about its experience dealing with pests in your area. Customer reviews or the company's own website can also help you figure out whether it has the experience necessary to eliminate the particular pests that are plaguing you. If the answers to your questions aren't available online, contacting the company directly is a great way to learn about its areas of expertise.
Reviews and Recommendations
You can check a company's rating on the Better Business Bureau (BBB), explore reviews on local review sites or social media, or check the standing of its license via the Ohio licensing board.
Cost of Services and Guarantees
Cost is important when hiring someone for pest control. Cost can be affected by the size of your house, your location, the type of pest being treated, and other factors.
Many companies offer free on-site estimates before starting work, to help you decide whether it fits into your budget. You can also ask whether a company offers a satisfaction guarantees, meaning that if your pest problem is not solved by the initial treatment, it will continue returning until it is.
Safety and Treatment Methods
Your choice of pest control company might be influenced by how eco-friendly a provider's pest control management solutionsare, in addition to how safe its methods are around your family and pets.
Safety
Make sure to ask your pest control expert if the chemicals they're using are low toxicity or non-toxic, and if not, what sort of precautionary measures they plan to take. Any pesticides that are not minimum-risk chemicals should be registered with the EPA. Your pest technician should be able to supply information about all chemicals they are going to use.
Treatment Methods
Many companies are now exploring more environmentally friendly pest control solutions that can be used before (or in place of) chemical pesticides. Many are following the practice of Integrated Pest Management (IPM), which goes as follows:
- Identify the source of the pest problem and determine if immediate action is required.
- Decide on the safest course of action.
- Manage the pest problem using a combination of biological, cultural, mechanical, and physical controls.
- Use chemical controls only when required, and always in combination with other controls for effective long-term pest management.
- Assess the outcome and continue with additional pest control as needed.
